Serrano Peppers Recalled for Salmonella
A Salmonella threat in serrano peppers sold at Walmart in Wisconsin, Montana, Utah and Wyoming has prompted a recall by distributor WorldVariety Produce Inc. of Los Angeles. Some recalled serrano peppers also were distributed to Jewel-Osco stores in Illinois.
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To date, no illnesses have been associated with the recalled product. In 2008, jalapeno and serrano peppers were implicated as the source of a major, multistate outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul that sickened 1,442 people, including 286 persons who were hospitalized and the infection might have contributed to two deaths. Contamination of peppers in the 2008 Salmonella outbreak might have occurred on the farm or during processing or distribution; the mechanism of contamination was never fully determined.
Salmonella causes fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In some circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and reactive arthritis known as Reiter's Syndrome. In some extreme cases, infection results in Salmonella death.
